I think I'm pretty good at it. As a Red Sox and Patriots fan, I've gotten a lot of opportunities to identify bandwagon fans. lol.
So...are YOU any good at it?
2008-08-06T19:59:56Z
Honestly, I DO judge people quickly when it comes to thinking they're a bandwagon fan...
If I see a girl in a pink Alex Rodriguez jersey, I'm not gonna think "Hey, maybe I should talk to her about the Yankees chances of making the playoffs." It's more like thinking "Wow...why not just write BANDWAGONER on your forehead in black marker."
bdough152008-08-07T09:01:08Z
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Usually you can spot them and then they give themselves away when they open their mouth, that is usually the clincher! When I lived in Boston you could pick them out at the game (this was before 2004 when the bandwagon went on overload) but they would come out when the Sox were on a great streak and make ridiculous statements like "Troy O'Leary really is the best Left fielder that we have had!" That was the biggest sign of Band wagon jumper!
A bandwagon fan generally has a low self esteem using the winning team they are currently following as a crutch for feeling like they are a part of something successful when nothing else in their life has had that good of an outcome. The most identifiable factor..their jersey. If it is of a current champion and looks brand new, with a matching hat, shoes, and sweat bands...that screams bandwagon. Another, more intangible, factor is the bandwagon fans use of team bashing as a form of argument. Instead of actually arguing a point they'll throw in a "Your team here...SUCK!" *I did want to make a point and say that I agree with Peach Pie in that bandwagon fans don't really bother me. I do think there is a fine line between someone that is a sports fan "rookie" and a bandwagon fan. It is hard to distinguish the two. It's cool that we all have different levels of knowledge! It's just bandwagon fans will act like they know it all!
Well, as for the new jerseys and hats, that is just wrong because that implies that no true fan can ever purchase memorabilia after their initial purchase. However, bandwagon fans are rather easy to spot. They may know the lineup of their team, but a real fan knows what is going on elsewhere in baseball. For instance, a bandwagon sox fan may know the names of every player on the team, but if you ask about the sox a few years prior to their 04 victory, or if you ask them something about the national league, they can not answer.
I don't judge fans at all. I am a die hard red sox fan, been one since 1985 when I was only 3. If I see someone with Pink Red Sox stuff I still chat with them about the Sox, I mean just because they wear pink doesn't mean they are a bandwagoner.
I still don't get it. A bandwagon baseball fan is so much better than no fan. Why the snobbery? If 50,000 people show up for the game, does it matter to you if some are bandwagon fans? Isn't that better than if only 17,000 show up? A bandwagon baseball fan just might become a die hard fan. Sometimes it really is the first year the person really became interested. So he picks someone who is winning? So what? He should pick someone who is awful? And what if he becomes a die hard fan as a result. You know, lots of kids pick the very popular players and teams, too. Are they bandwagon fans? Hardly. I just don't get this fixation people have against the bandwagon fan. He's interested. He's learning. If he were a bandwagon football fan he wouldn't even show up for the baseball game. I'm flummoxed. I really am.